The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is stepping up the
hoarding of rice to fulfil its target of creating a stockpile of 85,000
tonnes this year.

Seven local businesses have been
directed by the Vietnam Food Association to purchase rice following the
market mechanism to ensure farmers get profit and to stabilise the
local rice market.

To complete the task, the
province has supported local businesses to erect storage systems, which
will be able to stock up to 104,000 tonnes of unprocessed rice.

Local firms have also actively participated in a number of trade fairs
abroad and won contracts to export 20,000 tonnes of rice for 7.5
million USD.

According to the provincial Department
of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the summer-autumn crop, Kien
Giang will harvest an estimated total of 1.6 million tonnes of rice from
a cultivation area of nearly 300,000 hectares.

The province is striving to export up to 1.2 million tonnes of rice this year.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Dong Thap province of Kien Giang is
struggling to reach its goal of stockpiling 165,500 tonnes of rice in
2013.

As of June 27, the locality has fulfilled
only 15 percent of its yearly target due to long heavy rains that have
affected local rice quality.

Tran Tan Duc, Director
of the Dong Thap Food Company, one of the firms assigned to stock up on
rice, proposed that the government should provide more support for
businesses in sales and preferential interest duration so that they can
complete the work.-VNA